Thicker Than Water
by MLPhoenix
Summary: Tsuna's cousin has just arrived as a transfer student from Canada, but what are his true intentions?
1. Prologue: Transfer

THICKER THAN WATER

AN: Hey! Seeing as how there's a new Reborn heading at here's my first KHR story! Of course I don't own Reborn, since Akira Amano and Viz own it, so yeah. By the way, I do own all original characters. Anyway, HERE WE GO!

Prologue: Transfer

After the plane landed down in Japan, a young 16 year old boy walked out into the airport, and looked over for who he was meeting. He looked like every other boy, except he had a hockey stick peeking out from his bag. He looked over, and thought to himself, 'Been away for so long, Japan has changed.'

Meanwhile, Tsuna had his head in his hands, and thought, as both Lambo and I-Pin ran around the kitchen table. Of course Lambo just had to act idiotic, and I-Pin was chasing him. 'Even though we've defeated the Kokuyo gang and the Varia, everything's still as weird as it gets.' Of course, being a mafia boss-to-be can make things a little complicated, especially when you've got other gangs wanting to target you.

"Hey, just be grateful that you're getting stronger, Tsuna." The little kid sitting beside him said.

"I know you can read minds, Reborn, but please, stop it with the sharp stuff." Tsuna replied.

"I can't help it, Tsuna. That's how I am." Reborn said. It was then that Tsuna checked his watch.

"Oh no, I'm gonna be late!" He said as he finished his breakfast, grabbed his bag, put his shoes on and ran out. "Bye Mom, Fuuta!" He said as he ran out, and went to school, but catching up with both Hayato and Takeshi.

"So, boss. I heard we're getting a new transfer student." Hayato said.

"I wonder who he is, Tsuna." Takeshi butted in.

"I don't know." Tsuna replied, as all three went towards the school. Of course, Kyoko was waiting at the gate. "Kyoko-chan." Tsuna said, as Kyoko turned to look at him.

"Good morning, Tsuna-Kun." Kyoko said.

"Good morning, Kyoko-chan." Tsuna replied. "So, you know anything about this new transfer student?"

"Not exactly. Plus, about all this with Kokuyo and the Varia, I'm really getting worried about you." Kyoko said.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine." It was then Tsuna had a feeling, as he saw someone very familiar. "I'll see you in class, Kyoko-chan."

"All right." Kyoko replied as she walked into the school.

"Boss, you ok?" Hayato asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine. It's just… I thought I saw a glimpse of the new student." Tsuna answered. "Someone I knew from a while back."

"Oh?" Takeshi replied.

"Yeah." Tsuna said. "Come on. Let's go." Tsuna said as his friends walked in with him. During the beginning of class, it was then he saw the familiar face.

"Students, I would like for you to meet our new transfer student from Canada. This here's Jake Sawada." The teacher said.

END CHAPTER

So, what do you think? Pretty short intro, but hopefully, will be a good story. Oh, before I truly end this chapter, here's a little primer on Jake.

**Jake Sawada**: Don't let the last name fool you. He's not Tsuna's brother, but actually his cousin. He lived in Japan before he was five years old, and then moved to Ottawa, Ontario, where he developed his skills as a hockey player and a marksman. When he turned 16, he was marked out to be the next great hockey star from Ontario, but a serious knee injury put a stop to that. It was after the injury when he met Reborn, who gave him a crash course on mafia tactics, and as a result, gave him his transforming hockey stick, which can transform into a composite long bow.

Well, that's about it on my original character. More to come, hopefully! R&R!


	2. Chapter 1: Introduction to the boy

THICKER THAN WATER

AN: All right, chapter one here. Of course, the last chapter being a prologue, I figured this would be the real chapter one. Anyway, Jake has made his arrival as a transfer student, but why is he here in all places? Anyway, I don't own KHR, Akira Amano does. I just own Jake. There. ROLL IT!

Chapter One: Introduction to the boy, Introduction to the craziness

Tsuna's head snapped to attention as he saw his cousin for the first time since he was six. 'Why is he here? I hope he's not another one of those crazy gangsters who want to deal with me.'

"Hello, I'll be looking forward to meeting every one of you." Jake said.

"Anyway, why don't you give us a little background as to where you're from and all?" The teacher said.

"As a matter of fact, I will, Kalahari-sensei." Jake replied in his best Japanese. "Of course, with me having the same name as Tsunayoshi over here, you might think I'm his brother, but I'm actually his cousin. I lived in Japan for the better part of five years, and moved to the other side of the Pacific Ocean, Canada, to be precise, and lived there ever since right up to this moment."

"Thank you, Jake-kun." Mr. Kalahari said. "Now, I see an empty chair beside Tsuna-kun. So, why don't you take it?"

"It'll be my pleasure, Kalahari-sensei." Jake replied as he took the seat. Hayato just gave him a little bit of a cold glare as the class went on.

At lunch, Tsuna went over to Jake. "You'll have to excuse Gokudera-kun." Tsuna said. "He kind of gets jealous sometimes."

"I can tell, cos." Jake replied.

"Don't worry about it, Jake." Hayato butted in. "You're the boss' cousin, so I can readily accept that."

"Hey, I like I said, don't worry, Hayato." Jake replied. He then turned over to Tsuna. "So, I've been hearing a lot of stuff has been going on with you, meeting Reborn, getting yourself some subordinates for your family…" It was then that Tsuna stopped him.

"Wait. How do you know about my 'family'?" Tsuna asked.

Jake was about to speak when Tsuna's desk opened up, and out popped Reborn. "The reason why is because I met him during your guys' summer vacation." He said.

"Reborn! I thought I told you not to come here." Tsuna yelled out. "Besides, I knew you would be gone, but why did you go to Canada to recruit my cousin of all people?"

"I think it's because this was the reason." Jake said, as he lifted up his right pants leg to reveal a really bad surgical scar.

"Oh man!" Takeshi said. "Where'd you get that from?"

"I've been playing ice hockey since I was five." Jake answered. "Not many organized leagues in Japan, though. So, we decided to move to Canada to further my ambitions. It was when I turned 16, when I had my last game as a bantam player; I tore up the ligaments in my knee pretty badly, and broke my kneecap. Doctor said I couldn't play again."

"So you were serious about ice hockey like I am with baseball?" Takeshi asked.

"Oh yes." Jake answered. "So this is your family?"

"Well, there are four other members: Ryohei Sasagawa, Hibari Kyoya, Lambo, and Chrome Dokuro." Reborn said.

"THEY'RE JUST FRIENDS AND UPPERCLASSMATES!" Tsuna yelled.

"Yeah, and that cow is annoying as hell!" Hayato yelled out as well.

"I'm just telling the truth." Reborn replied, as he used his secret passage to back to wherever he hid. Class was pretty normal after that.

As the four friends were walking back to Tsuna's place, Jake said, "So, about that red-headed girl…"

"Oh, you mean Kyoko-chan?" Tsuna asked.

"Yeah, that's who I'm talking about." Jake answered. "You got the hots for her or something?"

Tsuna was just about to answer, but Reborn popped out of nowhere again, and answered, "Well, he still hasn't confessed, and Kyoko's getting impatient."

"REBORN!" Tsuna practically yelled out. "Besides, I'll confess if I feel like it!"

"Still, what about Haru?" Reborn asked. "I think she's more attainable."

"Who's Haru?" Jake asked. Just as he asked that question, the other girl in Tsuna's life showed up, and latched onto Tsuna's arm.

"Hello, Tsuna-san!" Haru said cheerfully.

"Haru!" Tsuna said. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought you'd like to walk me home." Haru answered. "Who's this?"

"Oh, that's my cousin, Jake." Tsuna said, giving Haru an answer.

"Hello." Jake said, in his best Japanese.

Takeshi just said, "Tsuna likes Kyoko, but Haru likes Tsuna, just to let you know."

"Oh." Jake replied. The five teens just walked to Tsuna's place, and Jake saw Nana. "Hey auntie." He said. 

"Hello, Jake-kun." Nana replied. "Your stuff is in Tsuna's room."

"Thanks." Jake said. It was then he saw Bianchi. "Oh. Hello."

"Hello Jake. Say, how about some dinner?" She asked, as she bought along a poisoned platter. Of course, Hayato, as soon as he saw his half-sister and the platter, just collapsed on the floor, clutching his stomach.

"Uh, thanks, but no." Jake said. "I'll just have whatever Auntie Nana gives me." During dinner, Tsuna tapped Jake on the shoulder. "Yes, cos?"

"You want to know what my advice is." Tsuna asked.

"What, cos?" Jake asked back.

"Get used to this craziness." Tsuna answered.

"Believe me; I've had my own share of craziness to deal with back home." Jake replied, to a hearty laugh from the rest of the dinner table.

Of course, Lambo just acted idiotic, and took I-Pin's dinner. "Lambo-san's got it!" He said.

I-Pin said, in Chinese, "GIVE IT BACK!" and started chasing him. The two other infants fighting at the table, and Jake gave a little amused chuckle at this. He just finished his dinner and went up to do his homework, then after that, took out his hockey stick, and bent the shaft at midpoint; it bent easily, then opened up a compartment at the top, and switched it, then strung the bow. He took out his arrows, and went to the backyard to do some target practice as Hayato, Takeshi and Haru left for their respective homes.

"I always knew you were good." Reborn said.

"Yeah, but you never told me why you left suddenly." Jake replied.

"Tsuna wasn't done with his training." Reborn said.

"Oh." Jake replied. Fuuta was watching this and started to go into ranking mode.

"Jake-nii-chan. 1st out of 88,000 mafia members in marksmanship." He said as he wrote it down in his book. Jake saw this, gave a little chuckle, and went upstairs.

"This is gonna be one very interesting semester." Jake said.

"Tell me about it, cousin." Tsuna said.

"It's gonna be even more interesting when you're the cousin of a soon-to-be mob boss." Reborn replied, as all three slept.

Meanwhile, five other boys got out from the same flight at the airport. The boy at the lead thought, 'We're gonna get you, Sawada…'

END CHAPTER


	3. Chapter 2: More Craziness

THICKER THAN WATER

AN: Ok, here's chapter two. I don't own KHR, since Akira Amano, Viz and others do. I do own Jake, however. Anyway, last chapter, Jake gives the class a primer on who he is, and he's introduced first hand to the craziness that Tsuna has to deal with every day. HERE WE GO.

Chapter Two: More craziness, and a not-so happy reunion

"Ha ha!" Lambo said as he ran into Tsuna's room, as he chased I-Pin. "Lambo-san, the broccoli monster is here!"

"Get away, you broccoli monster!" I-Pin said, albeit in Chinese. Tsuna was wide awake, as both infants ran around his room.

"Oy… can't I get any sleep around here?" Tsuna asked.

"Well, what do you expect?" Reborn fired back. "You've got to live with the danger every day now that you're gonna be a mafia boss."

"I'M NOT GONNA BE A MAFIA BOSS!" Tsuna yelled, not knowing that he was also waking up Jake.

"You guys are louder than my baby brother." Jake said, as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Well, sorry cousin." Tsuna replied.

"Anyway, I need to get prepared." Jake said, as he got up, and went to the bathroom to get dressed. He knocked on the door, and said, "Hey! I need to take a shower here!"

"I got in here first, Jake." A feminine sounding voice said. He instantly knew who it was.

"All righty, Bianchi." Jake replied. "I can tell that I'm not welcome, but I need to get prepped! Tsuna and I will be late!"

"Well you have to wait." Bianchi fired back, albeit calmly. "Then I'll make some breakfast." Jake, knowing what the poison cooking could do first-hand, decided it would be best to wait.

"Uh, I think I hear Auntie calling me." Jake said. "Breakfast, you know?" Jake ate, and washed up. Then, he saw Lambo and I-Pin running in. Lambo tripped, and the 10-year bazooka fell on both him and I-Pin, turning them into their adult selves.

"Hello, Jake." adult Lambo said.

"Oh, uh… hello." Jake replied.

"Oh no! I have a delivery to make to Uncle Kawahiro!" adult I-Pin yelled out, as she ran out. "Hi Jake, bye Jake!"

It was then that Bianchi walked in. "You can use the bathroom now, Jake."

"Don't bother. I used the one upstairs." Jake replied.

"All right." Bianchi said. She then saw adult Lambo and immediately got really angry. "ROMEO!" She screamed out, as adult Lambo ran for it. "I won't

let you get away!"

Jake immediately used the time get out onto the driveway, where he met Tsuna. "What was that all about?" he asked.

"Bianchi thinks that the adult Lambo is her ex-boyfriend, and well, every time he shows up, Bianchi wants to kill him." Tsuna answered, as Hayato and Takeshi showed up. The four teens began the walk to school. A few minutes into the walk, a car blocked their way, and a black suit wearing thug came out.

"You Jake Sawada?" He asked.

"What's it to you?" Jake asked back.

"Is this how you treat an old friend?" Another guy asked. Jake immediately recognized him.

"Joshua." Jake said, as he got out of the car.

END CHAPTER

All righty… seems we got a new character into the fold. Here's the primer on him:

**Joshua Longterno**: A member of the Longterno family, which was started by his great, great, great grandfather, he didn't want to follow in his infamous family's footsteps, instead finding refuge in hockey. He met Jake when he was eight, therefore beginning a friendship which lasted the better of eight years. However, two games before Jake got injured, a pound of cocaine was found in his locker, and Joshua was immediately booted off the team despite both his and Jake's protests. He was always second best to Jake in both hockey and in school, and was always envious of his skill and brains. After he got booted out, he immediately went on a crime spree with the family, and is one of the most dangerous Mafioso there is. He uses exploding hockey pucks which are shot at his enemies as weapons.


	4. Chapter 3: What Are You Doing Here?

THICKER THAN WATER

AN: Chapter three here. Alright, Jake's getting used to the craziness that goes on during a normal day at the Sawada household, and of course, an old friend/rival shows up, leaving Tsuna to wonder what's going on with his cousin. Anyway, I don't own KHR, Akira Amano does. I just own Jake, Joshua and the Longternos. There. ROLL IT!

Chapter Three: What Are You Doing Here?

"Well, I'd never thought I'd see you again, Jacob." Joshua said, as he got out and walked towards Jake.

"Same goes for you, Josh." Jake replied.

"Oy, boss. What's going on?" Hayato asked.

"It's between them. I don't want to get involved." Tsuna answered. It was then that Reborn appeared.

"Well, like it or not, we may have to get involved sooner rather than later." Reborn said.

"Still, it's my cousin's personal problems!" Tsuna protested. "Plus, what do you know about these guys?"

"These guys are the Longterno family from Sicily." Reborn explained. "Plus, I've heard of what this Josh character had done in the past."

"Oh?" Tsuna asked.

Meanwhile, Josh said, "You best better watch your back, Jake. Next time I see you, it's not gonna be as your former best friend."

"I'll keep that in mind." Jake replied. The car, carrying the Longternos left, and the boys walked over to school with no incident, and class even went off without a hitch, but Jake was more preoccupied than usual. He went up on the roof to think, but just as he lay down, he heard a little "ahem."

"Yes? I'm trying to think here." Jake said.

"You're in my spot." A boy wearing a black uniform, a red and gold disciplinary committee armband and also carrying two tonfas said. It was then that Tsuna came up with Hayato and Takeshi.

"Hibari-san!" Tsuna said.

"Do you know this guy, Sawada?" Hibari asked.

"Well, yes. He's my cousin." Tsuna answered.

"Hey, I got here first. Plus, I don't see your name on this spot." Jake said, as he took out his hockey stick. But as he did, he saw I-Pin from the corner of his eye.

"You left your guard down." Hibari said as he struck, but Jake saw that coming from the corner of his other eye. Tsuna saw her too, and he saw a sight which made his blood turn cold. I-Pin had hearts in her eyes, and nine _pinzu_ on her forehead.

"She's activated the pinzu time bomb!" Tsuna said.

"The what?" Jake asked.

"She's got a crush on Hibari-san! Every time she sees him or gets REALLY shy, she does this!" Tsuna explained as the countdown went from nine to eight.

"I-Pin's heart pounding, heart rate rising…" She said as the pinzu shrank from eight to seven, then six, five, four, three, two, and just as it hit one, Tsuna threw I-Pin clear from the school and she exploded a few feet away.

"Well, you're good, but make sure you stay away from this place." Hibari said. The rest of the day was normal, and as the four boys went home, it was at the moment that Takeshi started to speak up.

"So, what's your story with that guy we met earlier?" He asked.

"That guy's name's Joshua, or Josh for short." Jake answered. "You might find this hard to believe, but, eight years ago, he was my best friend."

"Like the baseball freak and me are with the boss, right?" Hayato asked.

"Exactly. It sort of went bad two games before my knee got injured." Jake explained.

(FLASHBACK)

"Longterno." The coach said as he reached Josh's locker. "I need to talk to you. Alone."

"What's this about, Jake?" Joshua asked.

"Better do what coach says." Jake answered with a shrug. Josh just got up, and went to talk to the coach, who was sitting on the bench. A few seconds after, Jake followed them, and waited nearby.

"We found this in your locker." The coach said, as he began, and threw a pound of cocaine near his feet.

"That ain't mine!" Joshua yelled out. "I don't do this thing, coach!"

"That's right; there's gotta be a mistake!" Jake replied, as he came out.

"You do know this is against our code of conduct here." The coach said. "Look, I knew you were a bad guy, but I never knew you were this bad."

"This is absurd, coach. I was with him all night." Jake replied.

"I don't want to hear any more. Look, as far as this goes, start cleaning out your locker, Longterno. You're off the team." The coach said. He then turned to Jake. "What's the real story, Sawada?"

Jake sighed, knowing that Josh was going to hate him if he told the truth. But he did anyway. "Right before I slept, I saw him walk into our hotel room, and he had two bags of coke. He gave one to me, but I refused to take it. Then he threatened me, saying that he would tell you that I supplied him with the cocaine."

"Mmm… and you knew this was going on?" The coach asked.

"Yes." Jake answered. "A friend of ours got arrested for giving it to him in the first place."

"All right." The coach said. "Look, I don't like it, but you're still gonna play. Just pay more close attention to who your friends are."

(END FLASHBACK)

"That's what happened. I tried to apologize, but he would have none of it." Jake said, finishing his narration.

"Cousin…" Tsuna began.

"And then, he got injured, and I came to him, and told him about you." Reborn explained. "Of course, the Longternos are another major mafia family who want to knock the Vongolas off the perch, so you'll have to fight them."

"But this is Jake's problem, Reborn!" Tsuna said.

"Don't worry, Jake will fight with you, and you've got the others." Reborn replied.

'He's right.' Tsuna thought to himself.

Meanwhile, in a rented apartment, Josh Longterno looked out at the window. 'So old friend, you're on the side of the Vongola family. You're gonna realize that you made a big mistake.'

"Oy, boss." One of the Longternos, whose name was Salvatore, said. "What's our first move?"

"We strike next week. We make sure we eliminate the Vongola one by one." Josh answered.

"As you wish, boss." Salvatore said, as he walked out.

END CHAPTER

So, you're probably asking, who is this gang? Here you go:

**Longterno**** Family**: One of the most dangerous mafia families in Sicily, they have moved to Japan to further operations. It was started not long after the Vongola family started operating, and they have since considered the Vongola their most hated arch rivals. They deal in mostly murder, illegal arms dealing, drugs, internet fraud and gambling. They are also not afraid to use whatever means necessary to get a person to do whatever they want.


	5. Chapter 4: Plan In Action

THICKER THAN WATER

AN: Hey, I'm back from the dead. Well, I'm not dead, but I bet it sure felt like it. Anyway, here's what happened: Jake and Josh had a not so happy reunion, of course, when your friend bails on you because you wanted nothing to do with a habit of his, you'd be pretty pissed off at him too. After all that, the Longternos decide their next course of action—eliminating the Vongola one by one. I don't own KHR, as Akira Amano, Shueisha, and Artland own it. The only characters I do own are Jake and the Longternos. ROLL IT!

Chapter Four: Plan in Action

"So, who do we go after first, boss?" Salvatore asked.

"We just go after the weakest of the bunch. Normally that would be Jake's cousin, but he's shown to be exceptionally strong under pressure, so that means going after the newest member or the smallest…" Joshua answered.

"Genius move." Salvatore said.

"All right, and now we toast; to the end of the Vongola family!" Joshua yelled. The rest of the family toasted.

The next day, Tsuna and Jake were walking alongside Takeshi and Hayato after school. Of course, Jake was a bit more pensive than the last few days.

"Oy, hockey-baka!" Hayato said. "Something on your mind?"

Jake was about to answer, but Reborn popped up suddenly. "It's probably about the Longternos, guys."

"Reborn!" Tsuna and Jake yelled out.

"You don't need to pry, Reborn!" Jake said. "It's my business."

"I can tell you all one thing. These guys could be as dangerous as the Kokuyo and Varia, if not more, so be on your guard, especially you, Tsuna." Reborn said.

"How can you tell?" Tsuna asked.

"Like I told you, Jake told me about everything while I was with him." Reborn answered. "He told me about his lost friendship and everything he could tell me about the Longternos."

"I know you guys have had your issues with the Varia and the Kokuyo gang, but I could appreciate your help if things get nasty." Jake said.

"Hey, blood is thicker than water, and you are my cousin, so I know I'm with you." Tsuna replied.

"Don't forget about me! As the tenth's right hand man, I'll make sure he's safe!" Hayato said.

"I'm not letting you have all the fun, Gokudera! You can count me in too!" Takeshi replied.

"Thanks guys." Jake said, as he went with Tsuna to his place and Hayato and Takeshi went back to their respective places. "Can't wait to see what my cousin's got for those Longternos!" He yelled out as they went in.

"Hey, if we do fight, we fight together!" Tsuna said. They were interrupted by nana.

"Tsu-kun? You've got a phone call." She said.

"Thanks." Tsuna replied. "Hello?"

"Sawada! It's Ryohei." A voice on the other line said.

"What's going on, onii-san?" Tsuna asked.

"It's Kyoko. She went out with Haru and it's been a few hours, but she's still not home!" Ryohei explained. It was at that time that Jake saw a hockey puck coming towards Tsuna's way. He took out his stick, and stopped it with the blade. He then saw the guy who shot it, but he left. "We'll get them back." Tsuna said. "Find Hibari-san and Chrome-kun, and I'll meet you with Lambo, Gokudera-kun, Jake and Yamamoto."

"Looks like they are serious!" Jake said, as he saw the note taped to the puck.

"What do you mean, cousin?" Tsuna asked.

Vongola 10th,

We have the girls you care about.

If you want to see them alive again, bring the Vongola rings to Naminori middle and come alone.

Joshua Longterno

"Should we?" Jake asked as he prepped his stick.

Tsuna just took his gloves out of his bag, put them on, and pocketed the pills that Basil gave him after the whole debacle with the Varia. He just said one word. "Let's."

END CHAPTER

Well… finally I ended this chapter! R&R!


	6. Chapter 5: Obtain Or Betray?

THICKER THAN WATER

AN: And y'all thought I was dead, hm? Well, I'm back. Here's what happened the last time: The Longternos will stop at nothing to knock off the Vongolas, so much, that they decided to get to Jake through Tsuna, and kidnap the two girls that Tsuna cares about so deeply! I don't own KHR, as Akira Amano does. ROLL IT!

Chapter Five: Obtain... or Betray?

"Here we are guys." Reborn said as Tsuna's "family" stopped at Naminori middle.

Tsuna thought, 'It may have only been a month, but why do I feel scared?'

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go and get Kyoko and Haru back!" Ryohei yelled out.

"Not so fast." Jake said. "The place might be guarded." As he said it, he transformed his hockey stick into his longbow, and pulled out two tranquilizer arrows and shot at the guards with great accuracy. "They'll only be out for a good 10 minutes. Let's go." As they went into the school, one of the Longternos went in after them and tried to ambush Chrome. In a flash of mist, she turned into Mukuro.

"I'll take care of him, and you guys go ahead and find the girls!" Chrome/Mukuro said. The rest of the family made a break for it as Mukuro said, "Who dies first?"

Minutes after that, Tsuna thought, 'It's too quiet.' He then noticed something in the back of his mind, and said, "Get back!" As soon as he said it, another Longterno foot soldier ambushed them from a classroom, knocking Lambo off his feet, and as he was flying back, the 10-year bazooka fell on him, turning him into the elder Lambo.

"I'll take this guy, young Vongola. You and the others rescue Haru-san and Kyoko-san." Tsuna and the others just nodded, and made a break for it.

"Wonder who else is gonna come out." Jake said, as he walked with Ryohei, Hayato, Takeshi, Kyoya and Tsuna. He then saw another foot soldier. "Tony." He said.

"I could've expected you here, but not with backup. Shall we?" Tony asked.

"Yeah." Jake answered. But just as he was about to grab his hockey stick, Kyoya stopped him.

"I'll take care of this guy. He needs to be bit to death. Rescue the girls." Kyoya said. The others just left, and Kyoya prepped up his tonfas.

"I told you guys you needed to be careful." Reborn quipped as he led Tsuna, Jake and the others through. By then, another foot soldier decided to make an ambush, but Ryohei blocked it.

"This guy needs a lesson on extreme fighting!" He said. "Sawada! Go and rescue my sister and Haru. I'll take him on." Tsuna just nodded, and led Hayato, Takeshi and Jake off as Ryohei clenched up his fists.

By then, Tsuna was getting a bit paranoid, and he had every reason to be. 'I hope everybody's gonna be ok.'

Hayato noticed it. "Don't worry about the others tenth. I'm sure everything will be ok."

"Yeah." Takeshi butted in. "They'll be ok before you know it." Just as he said it, two other soldiers blocked the exit that led to the gym.

"Me and the baseball brat can take care of these guys. You just rescue the girls, tenth." Tsuna just nodded, and put his gloves on as Jake led him to the gym.

Jake opened the door, and said, "All right Joshua. We know you're here."

"Yeah! Now where are Haru and Kyoko?" Tsuna asked.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Vongola tenth and his cousin." Joshua said. "Double the pride, double the fall."

"Save it." Tsuna said as he popped one of the pills Basil gave him. "Free Kyoko-chan and Haru immediately. They have nothing to do with this. I'm the one you want."

"No." Jake said, as he prepped his hockey stick and turned it into a crossbow. "We attack together. Blood's thicker than water, remember?"

Joshua just laughed. "How touching, but I hold all the cards, remember?" He turned on a spotlight, and there were Haru and Kyoko, bound and gagged. "Last I checked we had a deal going, remember? The Vongola rings. Right here, right now."

"You'll get those rings, all right. You'll get 'em over my dead body." Tsuna said.

"Well, why don't you explain that to your cousin?" Joshua asked, as Tsuna turned around, and saw Jake, who had pointed his crossbow at his head, and had the ring box in his hand.

END CHAPTER

Whoa! Betcha y'all didn't see that coming. How's Tsuna gonna react to this family betrayal? R&R!


	7. Chapter 6: Motive

THICKER THAN WATER

AN: ML here again. Now here's what happened—while the Vonglas went to Naminori Middle to try and rescue Haru and Kyoko, Joshua decides to pull a trump card, Tsuna's own cousin, Jake! So now we know Jake's true colours, but why betray his own cousin? We'll find out now! Same disclaimer as always.

Chapter Six: Motive

"Turn off your dying will and give me the gloves." Jake said. "And don't try anything funny. This bolt's poisoned."

Tsuna did as he was asked. "But why? Why betray your own blood, cousin?"

"Simple." Jake answered. "I'm doing this because of blood that's closer than you and I will ever share." He finished as the rest of the family ran in to the gym.

"Jake! Why is your crossbow pointed towards the 10th?" Hayato asked.

"This is for family." Jake answered, as he fingered his crossbow trigger.

"I'll be fine. Just get the girls, guys!" Tsuna said. But just as the family tried to make a move, Joshua snapped his fingers, and guns were pointed at the rest of the family.

"I anticipated this." Joshua said as his squad took any weapons that Takeshi, Chrome, Hayato, and Lambo had, and then as that happened, Jake gave Josh the rings. "Now that that's out of the way and now that I have these rings, kill the girls, Jake."

"We had a deal, Josh. I give you the rings, you release my twin brother." Jake replied.

"I'm altering the deal. We can't have any witnesses you know." Josh said in an as-a-matter-of-fact-tone. He then continued, "And that also includes your brother." He then turned on another spotlight, and it shined on Jake's brother.

"Mark!" He yelled out.

"How touching. This must be, 12 years since you last saw him? Well, now, it'll be the only time you see him." His finger was about to push a button to activate three robotic arms to administer the poison, but a whip knocked it out of his hand. "Who's there?"

"Bullying little kids." Dino said as he appeared. "How low could you get, Joshua Longterno? Going after my little bro and his cousins?"

"That's right." Jake said, as he knocked out Joshua with the butt of his crossbow and grabbed the ring box. He then spun, and threw three knives, which cut the ropes that held Mark, Kyoko and Haru. He then turned to Mark. "Get the girls out of here. I'll take of these guys." Mark nodded, and took the girls out of the gym. "Hey cousin, sorry about that."

"Hey, if you want to make up for what you did, let's just take these guys out." Tsuna said as Jake tossed him his gloves. He put them on and popped another pill into his mouth, activating his dying will flame.

"My thought exactly." Jake said as he replaced his poisoned bolt with a fresher bolt.

"Don't forget about us, 10th!" Hayato said, as he, Takeshi, Ryohei and Chrome came in.

"Not to mention that these guys need to be bit to death." Kyoya said as he appeared, and the family went to clean house.

After all the goons were cleared out, Joshua said, "Well, Vongola 10th, I may have underestimated you."

"Hey, I'm the one you want." Jake replied.

"Remember your little spiel? 'Blood's thicker than water'? We attack him together." Tsuna said.

"My thought exactly, cousin." Jake said as he readied another bolt, and aimed it at Joshua. "He'll try to shoot those explosive pucks. I'll give you cover fire and then you can get him."

"Sounds like a plan." Tsuna said. "But you're forgetting I'm the boss, Jake."

"I haven't forgotten." Jake replied as he and Tsuna split up. Joshua shot out a few exploding pucks with his stick but Jake managed to shoot them down with a few of his bolts. When Joshua expended his ammo, Tsuna came in and threw a punch. Joshua tried to block but Tsuna was that much faster and his punches hit that much harder.

Just as Joshua was coming back though, Tsuna blocked his hit. "Time to finish you off." He said as he put his thumbs and forefingers together to start his zero point breakthrough custom. Jake knew what was coming, and prepped his tranquilizer bolt. He then fired it just as Joshua was about to hit Tsuna. Jake smiled at Tsuna and then split. "May you never be thawed out, Joshua Longterno." Tsuna said as he finished the move. "Zero point breakthrough custom." He said as he touched Joshua, encasing him in ice. Tsuna walked out leaving Joshua encased and met the others outside.

The gang split up and Tsuna, Mark and Jake were about ready to go home. But were met by a "Tsuna-kun." Tsuna turned around, and saw Kyoko.

"Kyoko-chan." Tsuna said.

"You know, after everything that happened, I thought I was going to die." Kyoko began.

"But Jake was the one that rescued you." Tsuna said, but Kyoko just put a finger on his lips.

"Um, I guess I'll see you at home, 'cos." Jake said as both he and Mark left.

"Yeah. I've got a lot of catchin' up to do with my little bro." Mark replied as both twins walked home.

Kyoko then continued. "So, I know Haru has this crush on you and all, but…"

"But what?" Tsuna asked as he walked Kyoko home, with Ryohei in tow.

"I really want to be with you, and I hope you feel the same way." Kyoko said.

"You sure?" Tsuna asked. "I mean, with all the stuff with the Vongolas, our enemies might go after me by harming you."

"But I want to be there for you every step of the way." Kyoko replied. "If that means being the girlfriend of a soon-to-be mob boss, so be it. I'm ready to take the plunge, and I want no one to take the plunge with me but you." She said as she kissed his lips.

Tsuna was shocked at first, but slowly and surely returned the kiss soon after. As the new couple was kissing, Haru walked a few minutes behind. "Take good care of him, Kyoko." She said.

END

Ok, a little rushed but anyway, it's finished. Oh, and even though I didn't have Mark involved in the story too much, I figured to do a primer on him anyway.

**Mark Christopher Sawada**: Twin brother to Jake and older by a few minutes, he is more level-headed than his brother. The twins though, have been separated at birth. Therefore, Jake was raised by both parents while Mark was raised by a long-lost uncle in Japan. He was studying to become a cop in Japan while Jake was off playing hockey in Canada before he got kidnapped by the Longternos.


End file.
